The FBI’s Charm Offensive on Encryption

Playing down a narrative of an ongoing "crypro-war" between the government and the private sector, FBI Director James Comey said that shared security values between the two groups mean they should be working together. But Director Comey said the source of the tension between tech companies and federal law enforcement -- the proliferation of strong encryption standards that make it difficult or impossible to read intercepted communications -- could be addressed if only the business community made a real effort to develop new encryption technologies.

Technology and security experts have said that building in access to encrypted communications would invite intruders. If a tech company creates a "back door" to allow law enforcement to read decrypted data, malicious hackers will also be able to find and exploit it, they say. At a time when many in government and the private sector are pushing for better integration and cybersecurity information-sharing between the two worlds, the conflict over encryption can be counterproductive to an atmosphere of cooperation, tech advocates say.